History of
Ayii Anargyri
Miliou
Village - Pafos
- Cyprus
Hidden
amongst the citrus trees off the main Pafos - Polis
Chrysochous road stands the old monastery of Ayii Anargyri.
It
was built in 1649 on the site of a stone-age settlement. The
monastery appears to be listed as one of the first 79
monasteries on the Island.
It
is said that the monastery was founded by two brothers, Saint
Cosmas & Saint Damianos. The men were well known on the
Island as they cared for the sick and the dying - and they
never accepted payment, hence the monastery's name, which
comes from the Greek meaning "without payment".
There
are many stories about the brothers which are told by those
living in the neighbouring villages, not least of all that the
brothers did not seem to care very much about housework as
they left the eggs outside in the sun to turn mouldy!
The explanation for this was not apparent for many years until
the water tests at the end of the 19th Century
revealed Sulphur in the waters of the monastery's springs.
The
monastery fell into disrepair along with it's church during
the 19th Century, but when the mineral content of
the waters was revealed the monastery was extended to
accommodate visiting monks, and later nuns from Greece, who
benefited from the sulphur baths that had been built.
The
church in the forecourt has been renovated several times in
it’s life, but its original thick stone walls and old
processional icons still remain.
News
spread of the healing powers of the waters, which are said to
help those suffering from ailments such as Rheumatism,
Arthritis, skin disorders, stomach problems and spinal
abnormalities.
To
this day the monastery, welcomes many people as well as the
elderly from all over Greece & Cyprus who seek to cure in
it’s waters in the privacy of their own rooms.
At
the beginning of the 20th Century the monastery was
partly destroyed due to an earthquake. The High Church of
Cyprus decided to renovate on top of the existing foundation.
Monks then inhabited the monastery for 30 years.
The
monastery has had several owners over the years, one being Mr
Zinonas Chrysanthou of Miliou Village who bought the monastery
in 1985.Since then the monastery has been running as a small
and comfortable family run hotel.
Mr.
Zinonas Chrysanthou's children are now influential people in
their own right, they have come together and decided to
restore this unique building to turn it into a place that no
one will ever forget.
The
monastery is situated between the Pafos & Polis
Chrysochous in the valley of Miliou Village.
With
the smell of pine & citrus groves that surrounds it and
the coolness of the valley gives you the feeling that you are
very far away in the mountains of Troodos or Platres.
No
more than a ten-minute drive to the beaches of Polis &
Latchi and a twenty-minute drive to the shopping in Pafos,
makes the hotel an ideal base.
The
monastery is about a 10-minute walk to the hamlet of Miliou
Village, which then leads to the most scenic routes for
Ramblers & Birdwatchers alike.
The
valley of Miliou is one of the few places in Cyprus where the
Nightingale bird breeds.
